Please see first chapter for disclaimer regarding Blacklist. (Of course I don't own it! Just borrowing for entertainment purposes.) I've replied to everyone's reviews if I could (I appreciate you taking the time to leave me a comment) and anyone I could not reply to Thank you as well! You are just as important! I am so pleasantly surprised at the amount of interest this story has drawn and I only hope to keep entertaining you. I 3 Lizzington!
2 Quick things before we start
1-As you will notice I did not bump this up to M. I took all suggestions into consideration and after some deliberation decided that it didn't have that 'thing' to force it up. I apologize if I lose any readers for this. I truly didn't believe it needed to be up there.
2- Please bear with me on this chapter- the main reason I did not include it in the last chapter is because of it's complexity in form. I have 2 story arcs occurring at the same time in 2 different locations. I hope I kept it as easy to read as possible, if not I do apologize. I thought it would be best to get it all out at once but if it proves to hard to follow I will break it up into 2 chapters. Let me know.
On with the story:
POST OFFICE:
Aram typed furiously on his keyboard. He was working on a new virus trying to reverse sync through the live feed attempting to retrace its entry point from the initial email ISP. His frustration level was fueled by a number of failures, lack of sleep, too much coffee and his unobstructed view of the monster torturing his coworker. On too many occasions he had caught himself glancing over time and time again when a loud noise would catch his attention.
Hitting the send button one last time on his keyboard he sat back with bated breath to see if this time the result would be anything else but defeat. Resting his elbows on the desk he steepled his fingers before his face starring intently at the computer screen as the virus loaded slowly from zero. The slow progression was better than an immediate response and Aram couldn't help but feel slightly encouraged at the slow climb to five percent.
Realizing in his tunnel vision on the virus he had been neglecting his other programs he quickly shifted tactics. He'd began running simulations on the intended next trajectory of the signal skip to hopefully get a lock on the next target, unfortunately nothing had connected yet for him. He had also began monitoring any traffic in and around the post office again just to eliminate anyone potential leaks.
As Aram started scanning down the data he noted a black out for a period of 9 minutes, "How the hell did that happen?" He mumbled to himself, pulling up the programming and running a diagnostic on the program to check for any interference or tampering with his program. Immediately his program shot back the black out in the program was due to an electromagnetic countermeasure (or scrambler), it was weak but functional. Pushing back from his table in disgust he roughly rubbed his hand across his forehead. The last time they had a high powered jammer used in the Post Office a number of his colleagues died and he had killed a man.
Glancing around he couldn't figure out how he had missed the interference or the notification regarding it! 'Couldn't have been Agent Keen's life hanging in the balance' he thought aggressively to himself as he hit himself in the forehead with his palm.
"Agent Ressler! My office!" Director Cooper's voice boomed across the war room to Agent Ressler at his position at the info board effectively startling the rest of the agents on the floor. Donald had been starring aimlessly at the collection of data trying to appear busy while spending a good majority of his time just watching the scene play out on the screens.
Donald glanced over his shoulder at Harold's office window and nodded to him acknowledging his request. Lucian had just made reference to Red's classified file and he was interested to see Liz's reaction to any information he presented. Donald already knew what he was going to say so watching it play out was more for entertainment purposes than information.
Ascending the steps he entered Harold's office as he was taking a call. Harold waved him in and signaled for him to close the door, "No, no contact yet. Yes, we are monitoring all communication avenues." Harold paused listening to the other side talk adamantly. "Yes I understand the gravity of the situation Diane; I will update you in a few hours."
Slamming the phone down he squeezed his eyes shut, "Any luck with Keen's husband?"
"Found a few hours ago, I just got the message. He was found in the dog park not from their house with their dog's leash attached to his neck... It had been broken." Ressler didn't flinch as he relayed the information. He'd never been a fan of Keen's and knew something about her husband had been off originally. Although nothing could prepare him for the truth about Tom Keen and finding out about his 'double life' had almost caused him to dance with glee.
A particularly loud scream echoed off the walls of the Post Office as Lucian kicked Liz. Both men turned to watch as he set up the table and carried Liz over to it; the situation had progressed to a decidedly dangerous level.
When Lucian ripped open her shirt Harold had enough. Reaching into his desk he pulled out the scrambler to ensure their conversation wasn't overheard. Setting it on his desk and hitting the button he extended his open hand, "Give me the phone. I'm calling this off." Harold exclaimed.
Aram's PC dinged loudly; drawing his attention back to the scanning program. "It's happening again..." He mumbled rummaging through his desk to locate the signal tracer. Turning the device on he spun slowly trying to lock down the location of the signal. Moving slowly he followed the soft beeping as it lead him towards the location of the signal.
Moving out of the war room he was concentrating so hard on the device he didn't see where he was going and ran straight into someone. The tracking device and file fell to the floor as Aram and Meera collided in their haste.
"Agent Malik! I'm so sorry I wasn't paying attention." Aram stuttered at the senior agent helping her collect the papers that had fallen from the folder and splayed across the floor.
Meera picked up the tracer and gave Aram a confused look, "Why do you need this?"
Handing Meera her file, Aram grasped the tracer and glanced around. "Someone is using a scrambler that is affecting my tracking program. It's not a complete jammer where we cannot make or receive any communications – like with Garrik- but it's blocking my tracking program. My program picked it up before but I didn't see the notification so I'm trying to narrow down the location now before it disappears again. It may be the mole?"
Meera paused only a moment before she nodded for him to move along. Following him, they cautiously moved through the lower section of the war room to stand directly below the mezzanine housing the offices. "It's right here?" Aram whispered glancing around the general area searching for any device being hid in plain sight.
It didn't take Meera long to piece together where the signal was coming from as she glanced straight up. "Where are Cooper and Ressler?"
Still searching the area and glancing at his tracer Aram answered, "Cooper just called Ressler to his office."
Ressler didn't take his eyes off the screen to hand Harold the phone as the situation between Lucian and Liz escalated.
"I stood behind her being physically broken because Reddington should have jumped in to help her like before. Cuts and broken bones can heal. This would break her beyond repair and I cannot in good conscious as director let a vital asset be broken- like this! We will need to locate Reddington some other way. I'm going to set up the final payment with a stipulation that he will receive extra compensation as long as he keeps his hands off her and provides her location." Flipping the phone open, he hit speed dial number four and waited for Lucian to answer.
"What about Director Fowler?" Donald inquired raising a skeptical eyebrow.
Harold shook his head," I'll handle Diane."
"Should I prep a recovery team?" Donald inquired moving towards the door.
"Yes." Harold replied shortly.
Meera held her file and moved to the corner of the hallway, glancing up she saw Ressler descending the stairs heading towards command. Her eyes then moved to the screen where the man holding Liz was answering the phone. "Aram, is the scrambler still on?"
"Yes why?" He asked moving the tracer around like someone searching for cell signal.
"Tell me the moment it stops." She replied not taking her eyes off the screen.
Harold watched Lucian answer the phone on the screen. "Shut it down."
Lucian spun slowly to stare at the camera as if making eye contact with Harold. "Not exactly the call I was expecting but never the less, what can I do for you?"
"This is done. If he hasn't shown or made contact by now he won't." Harold watched as Lucian moved around to the table again behind Liz, grinning as she tried to move away from him. "We will pay you double the final payment right now to send your location and vacate the building."
Lucian continued to glance between the camera and Liz as he pondered the offer. If he had to be honest with himself he was having entirely too much fun with the young agent to give in so easily but he also understood the depth of danger he had himself in now. Reddington was not a forgiving man and there was not enough money in the world to protect you from him, but they were certainly making a good start for him. "Fair enough, I'll have them sent over as soon as the transfer clears."
Harold didn't answer but closed the phone effectively ending the call. Moving to his desk he opened the drawer and removed a small smartphone. Opening the server he confirmed the wire transfer and hit send. Pocketing the small device he turned off the scrambler on his desk, kept hold of the burner and waited for the wire transfer to complete.
"It's gone." Aram exclaimed as the signal disappeared.
Meera watched as Lucian hung up the phone then watched the screen. A slow smile slid across his features before he typed out what appeared to be a text or email on the phone. Contemplating her next move Meera choose to store this information and follow Agent Ressler.
198 Main Rm 15-RED'S ROOM
Red had moved a high back chair from the living room in front of the video equipment and had not moved since Agent Malik left. He had started working his way through the decanter of scotch in an attempt to calm his nerves and keep his sanity while watching the scene unfold on the screen.
He hated that he had to sit and wait for someone else to find His Lizzie. He trusted Seymour and his team inexplicably to find her location as quickly as possible but it still left him sitting on his hands without anything to do. Dembe had left to collect Mr. Kaplan and to start prepping their tactical units in preparation for any type of mobilization should Seymour come through with a location sooner than anticipated.
It was in times like this that he hated the hand he had been dealt in life. Everything had spiraled so far out of control that he had questioned too many times if he was doing the right thing.
Taking a long sip from the glass he closed his eyes to shut out reality for just a short few blissful moments. This entire situation was his fault; everything that Liz was suffering through was because of his demons and his past. The choices he'd made in life had manifested themselves in the form of hell on earth for the one thing he truly cared about. He had let his guard down and she was paying for it now. Had he kept to his original plan all would have been fine. Liz would have lived out her entire life never having met the nefarious Raymond Reddington. He could have gone about his business without thought or repercussion then quietly retired and lived the rest of his days out on a private island in the Caribbean.
But she had taken him by surprise and he had been lost ever since. He kept up with Sam as she grew from child to teen but he had never been in contact with her. His only information came in the way of brief calls and progress reports Sam would send if/when he requested.
It was a phone call from Sam out of the blue that had started the snowball effect they were rolling on at this point. Sam had called with the unfortunate news of his ailing health due to the cancer he was battling. Red had dropped everything and traveled 15 hours straight to be by his friends side for moral and emotional support as well as financial support. Red sparred no expense to get him the best oncologist and treatment available.
One afternoon when Red had been visiting Sam during his chemo treatment, their conversation had eventually turned to Liz. Sam handed Red a 'Save the Date' wedding announcement of Liz and her new fiancé Tom. If he could place the exact moment when his feelings for her had began: this would have been the moment. It was the first time he'd seen her since she was young and God help him she was a vision.
He'd felt it immediately. She had mesmerized him with her eyes and she had simply taken his breath away. Somewhere in his daze he heard Sam mention she had started studying at Quantico to train as a profiler or something but Red didn't hear anything else. His casual interest in her well being had changed to a desire to know everything about the woman she had become.
From that last thought a plan began to formulate and three years later; here he sat. This! This was his fault! Her life hung in the balance because of him. Had he left well enough alone, she would have never have suffered a day like she had since knowing him.
Turning his gaze back to the monitor he finished off another glass of scotch as he watched Liz fend off Lucian with a well placed knee. "That's my girl- get out of there." He mumbled softly but the brief smile on his face was short lived as he watched the rest of the scene unfold.
She had fought hard but was woefully unprepared for such a physical onslaught. Her cries of pain and anguish were like daggers to his chest. It made him sick. He had done terrible things in his life but nothing would compare to the hellfire he would rain down upon Lucian when he found him.
As he moved Liz to the table Red was jolted from his seat in a fit of rage, throwing his glass against the wall just above the screen. Liz's cries pierced his heart as she struggled against her restraints. He could take no more. He couldn't sit by any longer waiting to take action. "SEYMOUR!"
Within seconds the young man appeared in the doorway, "Yes sir?"
"Get him on the line now." Red left no room for discussion on the matter.
"But sir we haven't locked his location yet..." Seymour tried to explain to Red before he exploded.
"Just get me the damn phone!" Liz's cries echoed through the room and caught Seymour's attention for only a moment before he disappeared into the living room returning shortly with a burner phone.
"As soon as you hit send we will start the tracer," Seymour replied his features visibly paled at the sight on the screen of Lucian tearing Liz's shirt.
Before Red could hit the send button Lucian's phone began ringing. Red glanced at the phone in his hand to make sure he hadn't accidentally hit the send button then dropped his hand and watched as Lucian stopped his assault. Whispering something in Liz's ear, he stepped away to answer the phone.
Red released a shaky breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Collapsing back into the chair, he scrapped his fingers across his scalp in frustration. "I'm so sorry Lizzie."
"If it isn't you calling then was it just good timing or?" Seymour vocalized exactly what Red was thinking.
He stayed in the room with Red and tried to be as small as possible. Watching the man before him break down and give in to another's will have rocked him to the core.
"SEYMOUR! WE GOT IT!" A petite young woman named Kyrie came sliding into view at the door way drawing the attention of both men. "We've got it! It just cracked! Location is coming up now!"
In a flash Red was back on his feet, "I want directions to the location and schematics of the area now!" Using the burner to dial Dembe's cell he wasted no time with small talk, "We've got it, I'll send you details and meet you there."
Hanging up the phone he tossed it onto the bed and turned back to the tv. Someone was responsible for this. That someone was also watching the feed and called just in time to prevent a horrible thing from occurring. He would deal with those people. He would make them pay, but right now his only goal was getting Liz back safe and sound. Finding himself once again alone in the room with the feed of his Lizzie crying helplessly Red touched the screen lightly, "I'm coming sweetheart, just hold on."
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this. The next chapter starts all the fun and angst! Thank you again everyone for the reviews and the favorites. Please leave love or hate about this, I love hearing everyone's thoughts and discussing the show. FYI the next update may be a bit delayed due to a prompt story that is asking to be written: it's a one shot so it won't be huge but it's interfering with the next chapter.
You can also contact me on Tumblr or Twitter if you need someone to talk Blacklist with. *Wink*
Always,
Lady